My latest project, Arduino Controlled Dishwasher. Sorry about linking to my own site, rather than posting it here on the forum, I just didn't want to post it over and over. There are no ads on my site. Anyways.. Summary.. the control head on this dishwasher died, a replacement part was unreasonably priced, and would just fail all over again down the road (design flaw). So I wrote a sketch for the Arduino that runs the dishwasher. I figured while I was at it, I'd make it better than the original controller by using an LCD to display the current status. I haven't buttoned up the prototype yet, but I have gotten the functionality down.I have the sketch posted on that page.

Holy Cow, that is so cool. Interesting how insurmountable problems somehow get resolved once one's mindset changes. I am very impressed at your efforts on this. Now, the real challenge begins, how the heck are you going to make this look good on the front of the dishwasher?

Be sure to come back and post again when you get it finished. I'm going to steal ideas.

Awesome work UnaCloker! If I may give a suggestion, use an IR remote control instead of using an actual key pad will save you lots of grief trying to integrate the keys to the old panel. If you install the display where the broken display is, then seal it water tight is doable but won't be pretty. The least invasive way I can see is to construct a box to house the arduino, a display and IR receiver with a cord to the dish washer. You can sit it on the kitchen counter and control it with a remote. Weather is good in my place so I'm thinking you could buy a remote from a garage sale for a few dollars.

That will be the control panel on the front of the dishwasher, it's only half done. Hope nobody minds me snagging the Arduino logo for it.. Not like it's going to be commercially produced, I wanted some Arduino pride on the front of the machine. The other logo is the OpenHardware logo.. I'll post more as it goes, and then update my page when it's all assembled and done.

how about a delayed start (in my country electricity is cheaper at night)? You could add "half full" function, cutting wash times when the dishwasher is not fully filled in or filled with relatively easy to clean stuff.

Also, do you have alternative hot water source, like solar panels? That would be a great saver if you would use "free" hot water instead of heating it.

My dishwasher analyses the transparency of disposed water to judge if it is clean enough.

How we made it.. First we took the original control panel and scanned it on a scanner. Loaded that scanned image into Autocad and got the oval-esque shape down, pretty much traced it with some arc's. Then we added the cut out for the screen and the two buttons. We then exported it into CorelDraw where we did some final touch up, and sent it to a 50watt CO2 Laser. We cut out a few copies on paper, making minor revisions till we had the size exactly the same as the original control panel. We then took a sheet of pretty thin Lexan, maybe 1/8" thick, and cut it out. After it was done cutting, we spray painted the back of it with white spray paint, and when that dried, we put it back in the machine, paint side up, and used the laser to remove the paint, which left us with the writing and logos. Next up, I'm going back over the back of it again, this time with black paint,which will make the logos and the writing black, on a white background. Then I have to get wild with a dremel on the front door of the dishwasher to get the LCD and buttons to fit into the door just behind the new front panel. It's going to be a tight fit.

Here's another teaser picture, got it all mocked up. Just got to decide how I want the display held in place, as well as the buttons, and then run wires for them. And yeah, that's packing tape holding the control panel in place.

I have soooo much trouble losing remote controls, I don't see me going that route. I'd be more inclined to use an ethernet shield and get it on my network so I could control it with my phone.. But aside from the novelty, it just doesn't seem practical to me.. There are two LED buttons in that control panel, that's all it needs. Press both to pull up a menu, if I decide to put a menu in it in the future..